This Ski Safari combines skiing on two dramatic volcanic peaks and a very good chance of a powder day with a scenic road-trip through the Cascade Range, which also takes in the sculpted red rocks of the high desert on the dry side of the mountains.
We recommend 4 nights in Mount Hood and 5 in Bachelor as a starting point and then adding additional nights depending on how much skiing, relaxing or exploring you want to do.
Click to read our insiders account of this unique Ski Safari - Andy Knights on the Oregon Trail!
Sample 11-night itinerary
The starting point is Seattle which you can fly to direct from London. We recommend staying in Seattle for the first night and continuing the journey in the morning. The drive to Mt Hood is straightforward and takes around 5 hours.
Days 2-5:
Stay at the fantastic Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood. This is a classic mountain property, built in 1939 and made famous by appearing in The Shining! With its vast central fireplace, art deco touches, and cosy rooms (not to mention being almost completely buried under a blanket of snow for most of the season) it has real atmosphere.
From your base at Timberline Lodge you can explore Timberline, Mt Hood Meadows and Ski Bowl ski areas, each has a different geography and vibe so you get a very varied ski experience. Please see the resort pages for Mt Hood for more detail.
Day 6:
Take the day to enjoy the drive south to Bend. It is well worth taking your time to enjoy the scenery with the volcanic peaks of the Cascade Range on your right and the flat plateau of high desert, in places beautifully carved by rivers, on the left. We highly recommend taking a short detour from the highway to visit Smith Rock State Park.
Days 7-10:
Stay either in the funky town of Bend, or at the relaxing Sun River Resort, a few miles to the south. Mt Bachelor is a 20 minute drive from either spot. A lone peak surrounded by forest, Bachelor is a big ski resort - the fifth largest in the US - and you can ski all faces of the mountain.
Bend is largely about beer! The town is home to a good number of micro-breweries, so a certain amount of sampling is required, and if you want to be close to the action we recommend you stay here.
Day 11:
Drive back from Bend to Seattle at a leisurely pace, taking in the superb scenery along the way, for your evening flight home.
Add-on options
The Ski Safari above is very much a pure-skiing option... but one of the attractions of a trip to the Pacific Northwest is the huge potential to take a bit of time to explore. Just a few of the options are set out below, but feel free to make up your own...you could drive up the Oregon coast, drive down to California, or go back up to Seattle and ski at Mt Baker..Oregon is your Oyster!
Portland City Stay - Portland is all about quality of life and the environment - lots of parks and gardens, easy to get around by bike or light rail system, plenty of quality local food and wine... and tax free shopping!
Crater Lake - 2 hours south of Bend, this 6 mile-wide caldera is a truly remarkable sight. Formed by the eruption and collapse of Mt Mazama 7,700 years ago, it has deep, very blue water. Check access details before you travel from Bend as the park facilities are closed in winter, although the lake can be accessed on cross-country skis or snowshoesv
Oregon Coast - Oregon's share of the Pacific coastline owes its international reputation to the rugged beauty and natural wonders found all along its nearly 400-mile length. The entire Pacific Coast Highway is studded with picturesque coastal scenery, lush evergreen forests and quaint coastal towns, from dramatic rock formations to churning whirlpools to miles and miles of sandy beaches. The beauty and serenity of the Pacific strand on 3½ mile Cannon Beach is unprecedented and is regularly voted one of America’s Best Beaches.
Hood River - this small town 45 minutes drive north of Mt Hood in the Columbia River Gorge is the spiritual home of windsurfing and kitesurfing in the US. The main season is the summer, although it gets winds almost year-round if you fancy a blast. It is also a big centre for mountain biking and kayaking so you can easily turn your ski trip into a multi-activity holiday. Eating and drinking are also on the agenda here as the area has wineries, breweries and organic food producers galore.